Barclaycard plays matchmaker in campaign for bespoke offers service

Barclaycard is aiming to ‘bring emotion to a functional category’ in a marketing campaign that positions its “bespoke” offers service as a matchmaker for customers and their ‘perfect purchase’.

Video: bespoke’s new campaig which pitches the service as a matchmaker, uniting customers with their perfect purchases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSvNv7QAXcA

The TV ads, which launch this evening (27 June), focus on two categories – technology and fashion accessories. They depict a girl swooning over her perfect partner, which is revealed to be a handbag, and a man serenading his match, which turns out to be a tablet.

The TV spots will be supported by outdoors ads and a print campaign that shows how Bespoke Offers can “play matchmaker”. It is also investing in a social media “war room” aimed at creating content in real-time based on news and events.

Speaking to Marketing Week bespoke’s acquisition marketing director Stuart Brann says the brand has been testing “moment marketing” and has found it is a great way hijack social conversations on Twitter and Facebook. Given that the offers available through bespoke are always changing, he says this will let the brand react to what is in the press and keep its communications topical and relevant, as well as ensuring it can highlight new deals as they come up.

That real-time strategy will also filter through to its print campaign, with its media buying model meaning it can change ads on a “last minute basis”, adds Brann.

Stuart Beamish, marketing director at bespoke, says the main aim of the campaign is to drive registrations to the site, with the brand altering its logo slightly to include the website address and including a call to action as part of the campaign. Barclaycard is using a performance-buying model for the first time, which will be based on website registrations.

However, bespoke is also hoping to build “greater emotional warmth and resonance for the brand” and make sure people understand its point of difference – the fact it can personalise deals based on customers’ spending habits and preferences – with the campaign, says Beamish.

“This makes us unique in the market and means that we are the only brand that can genuinely claim to be a matchmaker for shoppers looking for great deals on items they really want,” he adds.
 
Barclaycard launched Bespoke Offers just over a year ago and it is available to anyone with a credit card, not just Barclaycard customers. It has now signed up 1 million customers, around half of which “didn’t have a banking relationship with Barclays or Barclaycard before”, according to Beamish.

There are also 3,000 merchants offering deals through the site, with more than 50 per cent of those new relationships.

BBH developed the TV campaign, while RAPP executed the print, outdoor and digital creative. The media has been planned and bought by Maxus.

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